The need for practical and efficient devices suited for muscular toning and human body conditioning is a long established one. There are a variety of exercise devices, including powered machines, that selectively challenge different sets of body muscles. One area of sought exercise is directed to the abdominal, biceps, and triceps muscle sets. One such device described in the patent literature as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,425 (granted Aug. 3, 1993 to J. V. Miller et al). The Miller patent teaches a device that involves direct, progressive resistance to the user over the field of action. This means that during movement over the inherent range of motion for the prior art device, that its resistance level increases linearly, as opposed to a preferred constant plus consistent resistance level throughout the device range of motion.
Boland U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,138 (Jun. 2, 1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,685 (Oct. 12, 1999) are both directed to a lap-based exercise device for conditioning abominals and arms, with the later '685 patent disclosing an alternate embodiment entailing a resilient band tensioning means (FIG. 11), and providing an optional pivoting action for the upper cross bar member 70.
In the present embodiment of the Abs exercise machine, the user is now able to perform a crunch exercise as compared to the users of my earlier devices. Those provided more of an old fashioned style of sit-up exercises which was a combination abdominal/hip flexor routine.
The present embodiment of this device affords more of a concentrated abdominal workout without involving the hip flexor muscles.
In lying on the floor performing an old fashioned sit up, one raises their entire torso off the ground, which involves both the abdominal and hip flexor muscles. In the last 20 years, fitness trainers now recommend lying on the floor and raising only your shoulders off the ground, thereby isolating the abdominal muscles and intentionally neglecting the hip flexor muscles. The present embodiment takes this modern day approach referred to as a "crunch," so only the present device allows the "crunch" to be effected in the comfort of a chair without having to get on the floor to exercise.
In this new embodiment, an abdominal crunch workout is provided by the pivoting action afforded by a second set of blastomeric joints connecting the upper and lower pairs of generally vertical side bars.
Both U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,685 and this herein described new embodiment affords an oblique (side) abdominal workout by allowing the chest crossbar to pivot and twist. Patent '685 affords this pivoting just below the middle of the chest crossbar in component 89 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 on patent '685. The new embodiment affords this same oblique abdominal workout except the pivoting action is afforded by two elastomer joints (upper set) at each end of the chest crossbar as in FIGS. 9 and 10.
Moreover, the present embodiment has fewer structural components, while providing some greater versatility, in that the crotch and chest nesting components are integrated. This permits pivoting on both sides of the chest high horizontal bar, and not centrally via elastic-type couplings. As a result of simplified fabrication, the present device is less costly to manufacture and market.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a portable abdominal (lower, upper and sides ABS) and arms exercise device that can be used alternately for abdominal toning and triceps muscle toning, by simple realignment of its operating position.
It is another primary object of the invention to provide an exercise device which incorporates the option of performing an added crunch exercise while reducing the number of structural components from that seen in the prior art devices.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a device employing a linkage-based system versus a direct resistance system yielding a lineal and consistent resistance throughout its range of motion.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide a portable unit that folds up for easy shipment and/or storage.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a device which precludes the need for positioning of the hands adjacent the user's chest (as seen with Miller '425 FIGS. 11 and 12), rather by steadying the device just within the user thighs, thus making for a concise and focused abdominal exercise.
Another object of the present device is to angle the track and the machine in the user's lap, so that the user's forward motion against the crossbar resistance is downward, thereby increasing the "crunch" proper.